You're Not That Bad
by Zenny-DoLL
Summary: Since losing a dance off to Ulala, Pudding couldn't forgive Ulala for the embarrassment and vulnerability she felt because of her.  And after being rescued by her from the Morolians, Pudding realizes that maybe Ulala isn't as bad as she thought she was.


**(A/N: Zenny here! This literally just occurred to me as I was playing the original Space Channel 5, so I ended up pausing my game just so I could write this. Enjoy!)**

You're Not That Bad

"Better than I thought…" Pudding grumbled to herself.

"I beat her!" Ulala let victory wash all over her.

Pudding, who had just lost to Ulala in a dance-off and not wanting to endure any more embarrassment, left the area as quickly as she could.

"Retreat!" Pudding screamed, and she and her groupies fled the scene.

xxx

Not so long after her recent defeat, Pudding was sitting at a space table with her groupies, plotting out her next moves.

"Who does that reporter think she is, anyway? Hmph! The only reason she won is because today is an off day for me…Yeah, that's it! I'm not feeling like my usual self right now. So naturally, I screwed up. Yeah, that's gotta be why. There's no way some chick like her could out dance _me_!"

Pudding pounded her fist on the table, startling the boys and making them jump.

"Am I right boys? Tell me I'm right!" The Channel 42 reporter demanded.

"U-uh, yes Pudding! Of course you're right! That definitely has to be the reason." One of them spoke up.

_Actually I don't think so. I think that Ulala woman won because she's just better than her. But if I actually said that to Pudding, she'd…_ He thought nervously.

"Alright, boys. I know what we should do." Pudding smirked deviously.

Everyone gathered closely to discuss a way to throw Ulala off and rightfully give Pudding the glory she deserved. Or so Pudding thought.

xxx

"Ulala, shoot everything in your path, we've gotta hurry!" Fuse spoke to the Channel 5 reporter through her headset.

And of course, Pudding coincidentally showed up yet again, meddling in Ulala's affairs.

_Her again! Ugh, I don't have time for this nonsense. Better make this quick._ The pink pigtailed reporter thought to herself.

"Don't worry boys, we got this!" Pudding surprisingly encouraged her mates through a headset of her own, to keep pushing forward. Ulala was not getting away so fast.

"Up chu, right chu, left chu!" Ulala copied the shooting sequences in flawless timing as expected and sent Pudding and her Channel 42 friends away.

Ulala sweatdropped. With Pudding out of the way, she could make her way to the scoop without any more delays. She sighed in relief.

…and then Jaguar showed up.

"Ugh!" Ulala groaned.

xxx

Pudding, not ready to give in yet, dashed her way into the opening of the building.

She turned her head to give a sly wave to Jaguar and Ulala, who were far behind.

"Catch _my_ report on Channel 42!" And off the former teen idol went.

However, Pudding wouldn't make it far that easily without karma catching up to her. Suddenly a group of Morolians appeared as she got inside, ready to force her to dance to their groove.

"...Wha? What is this!" Pudding yelled in dismay, unsure how to handle the situation. Where had her groupies gone? It was only her now, fending for herself.

Pudding had never encountered these strange and leery aliens before, she was scared – but would never admit it – and the lack of experience left her vulnerable to being captured.

A yellow Morolian zapped her, and now Pudding was dancing out of style, and uncontrollably. In her mind, which was spinning and somehow slipping away as her body gave in to the dance, Miss Channel 42 could only hope for a miracle at this point.

She hoped hard and long as her body continued to dance against her will, growing more and more with fatigue, that a miracle would come. That maybe, somebody would save her. And that somebody would be…

"Ulala! Hurry, h-help me!" She stammered, willing to take any chances she could get – even if that chance was Ulala.

"Down, up, chu chu!" Ulala mimicked the commands, and the dark blue Morolians disappeared without warning.

Pudding's body was now free of their control, and also feeling very tired. Now the only thing Pudding feared was how sore she would be in the morning.

Thinking on the more important matters of life, like how much she was fuming that she had been captured by sickening creatures like aliens, _and_ rescued by her worst rival because of it! She was about to give her sincere thanks, but decided against it, believing that she could've freed herself, and that Ulala didn't deserve the gratitude. After all, Ulala was just showing off again, rubbing the fame in her face. Fame that Pudding once had…and could've had, but Ulala had to snatch her dreams away.

Pudding turned up her nose, as if to say, 'you're not even worthy of having someone as great as me look at somebody as pathetic as you!' and told her, "Thanks, _anyway_." Putting a lot of unneeded emphasis on the _anyway_, only to further remind Ulala of the fact that both of them are rivals and that she will never fully respect her.

Ulala got the hint and said nothing, and Pudding fled in the opposite direction. Just handing over the report to Ulala was enough thanks for her.

xxx

Pudding got out her space ship and tiredly walked inside the Channel 42 studio, where all co-workers, guards, and groupies were crowded at the space table.

The idol stomped her way to them.

"And just where have you all been? Do you know that I got captured by aliens and had to be rescued!?" She screamed furiously.

"We're real sorry, Puddin'!" One of them said. "But after that Ulala beat us again, we all got separated somehow! We tried lookin' for ya, but when we couldn't find you, we assumed you just gave up and came back down to the base!"

Now Pudding was really heated.

_So this is what they think of me now…That ever since this Channel 5 reporter, Ulala, showed up, that I just easily accept defeat whenever she's around. They know I'm losing to her. I can't let this happen! If they know how weak I am against her, something bad could happen…Like, what if Ulala steals my position as Channel 42's top reporter? Oh my gosh! This is horrible!_

She bit her lip.

_Then again…_ Pudding began to think, and sitting at the table, she plopped her face against the cold metal with her arms spread wide out.

_She did save me. But she didn't really have to, now did she? If she was really after my position, she wouldn't have bothered rescuing me, would she? She didn't even look mad after I didn't thank her properly. Actually, she's never looked mad at me about anything that's happened. Are we really even rivals then? She's...not showing off. She's not trying to become famous. She's not trying to make me look bad or feel bad. I understand now…And Ulala, she's all alone, isn't she? I've never seen her with any other people from Channel 5, not like me or Jaguar. Well, except that one time when we had our dance-off. She's doing it all by herself…It can't be easy. I should…do something...shouldn't I?_

The chair Pudding was sitting in jerked back abruptly, and she stood up firmly, hands at her sides, as if about to salute a soldier. Ulala was like a soldier fighting a war alone.

_And she couldn't need someone's help more than she does right now…_

There was strength in numbers, as Pudding believed. She headed for the door.

"P-Pudding! Where are you going?" a groupie asked.

"I don't want her to have to do this alone, so I'm leaving! Feel free to tag along, I could use the extra help!"

_After all, she saved my life. I didn't show it…But I really did appreciate_

_that. And now it's time to return that gesture…to my friend._

xxx

Somewhere in the deeper ends of the galaxy, Ulala was struggling. First she had to engage in a dance off against a reporter, Evila, who looked just like her. Then she had to copy the robot's moves in reverse, and now she was facing Blank, and she didn't want to believe it – But Ulala was losing it.

She didn't know how much longer she could keep going until she would collapse. But, Ulala couldn't let Blank win and brainwash the masses!

"Hold on, Ulala!" Pudding called, resting Ulala assured.

Behind Pudding, was a whole group of people, large enough to be called an army. Pudding had lead these people all the way to Ulala's whereabouts, and now they would all join together and help her through with the power of dance and jiggy power, and defeat Blank once and for all.

That's when Pudding realized.

Ulala wasn't here to show off, she was here to help. To help everybody.

Ulala didn't see it at the time, but she'd suddenly been given the support of the entire galaxy, and most of all – She'd been given the thanks, the respect, and the compassion of someone who would eventually become her best friend – Pudding. With Pudding at her side, Ulala got back on her feet, and together they would take care of Blank for good and march to the end of the galaxy.

**(A/N: I've been wanting to write something for Space Channel 5 in sooooo long. But I could never think of anything. And now with this, I feel satisfied. To be honest, I never really liked Pudding. I dunno, she just always seemed….snobbish and disrespectful to Ulala. Seriously! When I was playing SC5 and rescued Pudding, I was just like, "Yeah, that's right bitch, you better thank me!" I think now that I've written this, maybe I've gained a little more respect for Pudding. …or not.)**


End file.
